The drive back to 'Ponyville' was not as smooth as I had expected and took some time to exit the woods as the dirt roads weren't suitable for the Astra. I was forced to keep to a low speed and weave from side to side to avoid expanding tree roots and the uneven surface. If there was one thing the Astra was almost completely useless for, it was dirt roads and off-road driving. I never was too keen on using any of the off-road cars available to me, but being in this environment was really making me wish I had either the BMW X5 or Range Rover.

The slow and careful drive through town was fairly uneventful, apart from all of the locals looking to the car with caution and distrust as they likely had no frame of reference. The small town was positioned in the centre of a series of rolling hills and alongside the bend of a narrow river. Many of the houses within resembled that of old Tudor style houses, the whitewashed walls being replaced with a pale yellow hue and the slate roofing being constructed from straw.

The main landmark of the town seemed to be a large rotunda building with various support beams outlining the exterior and providing an outstretched roof to those below which was positioned in the centre of the settlement. on the outskirts of the town was a large farm with many trees stretching out into the joined fields and seem to extend over the horizons of the hills. During the drive, Twilight made sure to point out the route to the hospital for me so that I could visit Matt.

Hanging high over the town far in the distance sits a large city which clings to the mountains resembling something akin to a set from Lord of the Rings. A small collection of large spires stand tall over the distant settlement connected to the main caste. I was told that the city was called 'Canterlot' and it was the capital of Equestria, housing Princess Celestia and Luna, along with the rest of the Equestrian Government.

The final stop on my brief tour was where I would be staying during my time here, Twilight’s castle. The main structure resembled a tree which was seemingly constructed from large crystal stones, reflecting the natural sunlight to illuminate the grounds around it. A large set of golden double doors and stairs provided entrance into the structure while the upper levels seemed to be shaped in a more conventional styled castle, even if it was coloured purple with golden roof tiles. To me, the building was a giant eyesore when compared to the rest of the quaint town.

As soon as we arrived, Twilight took me inside and showed me to the room. The interior of the castle seemed to reach out much further compared to the exterior let on. A large throne room and function room was set to the left side of a great hallway which stretched out the entire distance connecting to a grand staircase which led to the upper floors. The right side of the hall led to an oversized study which must have contained thousands upon thousands of texts, whereas a kitchen and dining space was lined behind the staircase.

My bedroom was at the top of the stairs and at the far right side of the castle, the view from the window allowed me to look out over the edge of the town below and toward the city of Canterlot which was seated on the overhead mountains. The bedroom itself was thankfully not as bright compared to the rest of the castle and didn't attack my senses.

Situated against the rear central room was a double bed, though it clearly wasn't designed for humans as my feet would hand over the edge. On either side were small bedside tables and drawers allowing me to store some of my items, with an additional wardrobe and desk sat against the left wall. To the right was a large window giving me the view on the outside wall. The room itself was fairly barren, obviously only being intended for someone staying for a short period, but it meant that I could eventually decorate it to my own tastes to make it feel a bit more like home.

When the tour of the castle was finished I took all of mine and Matt's personal begs into my new room and quickly unpacked my own items into the drawers and wardrobe I had. It was safe to say that my lack of items left much of the storage capacity unused. I was thankful to find that everything I had was undamaged in the crash, particularly my Samsung tablet and charging cables so that I could at least have access to the collection of films and TV shows I downloaded in order to keep me entertained.

Most of the items I had with me were all work-related, mostly clothing and various paperwork such as hi-vis coats, leather gloves and blank MG11's. I at least had an extra set of clothing which I didn't have an opportunity to change from my bag into my locker at the start of the shift, giving me access to my sports kit. Wanting to get my head down for the night, I changed out of my uniform and into the black tank top before trying to get some rest.

I couldn't sleep. No matter what technique I tried I found myself failing at every attempt to drift off to sleep. My mind was still racing from everything I had been told through the day, still trying to process all of the new information and trying to comprehend the situation. I was in a new world, that was clear, but my brain was doing everything to say otherwise. This clearly isn't my own world... but how can one be in a new world?

Throwing the covers from over my body, I climb out of bed and idly pace towards the open window. "This just doesn't make sense," I mutter to myself under my breath. "This has got to be a dream, right? I took a bump to the head and I'm imagining all of this." Twisting my watch, I look at the time to find that it's just gone midnight. "I don't know what all of this is."

"Talking ponies?" I chuckled nervously as I rub my hands. "Only my head could come up with something as absurd as that."

But it isn't the case. As much as I want to believe that this is all some figment of my imagination, this all seems too real. All the smells, tastes, sights and sounds of this world are far too real to be some messed up dream. But it begs the question as to how all of this happened. How did I get here? What do I do now that I am here? How do I get home? Can I get home?

Sitting on the window frame, I hang my leg over the edge in order to feel the cool breeze against my leg. Taking in the view, I tilt my head back and stare at the array of stars overhead. The cluster overhead illuminates the natural landscape below, lighting up the town and painting it in a radiant glow. I remain fixed in place as I admire the beauty of the town. Ponyville is unlike anything I've ever seen. This small town appears so tranquil and beautiful in the glow of the night, especially compared to my hometown.

As time passes, I climb from the windowsill and approach the dresser where I grab hold of the three-quarter length leggings and white trainers which were also within my sports kit. Getting dressed I slowly exit my bedroom and step into the towering hallway. The ceiling overhead stretched high up into the structure, allowing the numerous tapestries which shroud the walls to hang and flow smoothly within the natural breeze.

It takes me a few minutes to navigate the seemingly endless halls until I finally get my bearing as I come to the top of the central staircase. I peer into the grand hall below, the lights from overhead reflecting off the walls to illuminate the almost unnatural structure. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice that the door to the study is slightly ajar as a beam of light peers through the opening and hushed voices can be heard from within.

Tiptoeing down the staircase, I carefully move towards the door where I peer through the crack. Inside sat at a low table is Twilight with a large book in front of her. Although her main focus seems to be on the large text before her, her magic seems to effortlessly levitate a series of papers around her in a fluid motion as a quill jots down notes as they pass.

Pushing the door open, I step inside the room as another book lands alongside Twilight on the table, this time in a light turquoise aura that I don't recognise. Following the sound of ruffling books, I clock another mare who is stood at the bottom of one of the towering bookshelves. This mare has a coat of pale pink with a purple mane which contains an aquamarine highlight as the mane curls at the end.

Their sensitive hearing swiftly pick me up as their ears flick at the slightest noise underneath my feet. "Becky," Twilight states as she swivels on her cushion, "I thought you went to bed."

"I couldn't sleep." Pushing the door behind closed behind me I move towards Twilight and sit at the opposite end of the table, lowering myself carefully to the floor to sit on the available cushion. "I've got too much on my mind. What are you working on?"

"I'm looking over some of Starswirls old notes which the Princesses sent from the Canterlot archives." Twilight seems to practically bounce in her seat as her eyes flick back and forth over her notes. "They haven't been able to send over everything from the archives, but what they have sent me so far is a fountain of information. I’m learning so much!"

"You'll have to forgive Twilight," The other pony whispers as she steps alongside me. "She can get a little eccentric around her work." As she steps towards another series of shelves, she glances back towards me as she effortlessly begins to pluck numerous texts from the higher shelves. "I'm Starlight Glimmer, by the way."

"Why did these texts have to come from the capital?" I ask as I focus on Twilight. "Why doesn't anyone here know about humans?"

"The knowledge has just been lost to time," Twilight answers as she places some of the old documents before me. "Not many ponies knew about the last human who came here, so the information remained amongst a select few. Documents we recorded at the time and kept amongst the archives for those to study as they wished, but nopony really knew about them and the knowledge never left the groups who encountered the human. It became more of a legend amongst a few small communities until it finally faded away. Most of the original documents were lost a millennia ago when the Castle of the Two Sisters was destroyed and abandoned."

I quickly scan over the documents laid out before me. Most of them are old and appear to have deteriorated with time, the ink scrawled on the parchment. It's initially difficult to make out the cursive writing scratched onto the aged paper. I'm able to quickly make out a series of small sketches and diagrams of a male human. The armour portrayed resembles that of the guards within Equestrian and the ancient Roman Centurions.

"He was a Roman?" I say aloud as I delicately trace my finger over doodle.

"Wait. You know more about him?" Twilight beams with excitement as she practically leaps out of her seat, rushing to my side as she looks to me expectantly.

"N-not about him. No. I just recognise the armour. He's a Roman. I learnt about them back in primary school." I pass the documents back to Twilight. "One of the largest Empires at their height of power, around two-thousand years ago, controlling most of Europe, along with the northern coast of Africa. It's one of the periods in history we were all taught in school. The only things that ever stuck with me was their armour, which was iconic. The one in the picture is a Centurion, an officer in the army. It's very similar to the armour the guards were wearing."

"From what I was told by the Princesses, our armour was moulded off that which the human was wearing. At the time, Equestria had potential threats off of its borders," Twilight answers as she shuffles around some of the papers. "Equestria was a relatively young nation and was only securing its own borders. Tribes which historically failed to cooperate had finally come together under the rule of Celestia and Luna. Outside of Equestria, the main threat we faced was King Sombra from the north. That's when the armour of this 'Roman' was adopted. Since then, Equestria hasn't known war, so it seems that the Royal Guard remained content with the armour design they had."

"Must have been nice not having to worry about conflicts," I scoff as I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Things aren't like that back home. There is always a fight going on in some corner of the world."

"Things haven't always remained calm around here," Twilight responds as she sits on her haunches alongside me. "In recent years, some old threats have surfaced against Equestria."

"A lot has happened in the last few years," Starlight remarks as she takes Twilight's old seat. "Princess Luna's return. Discord escaping his imprisonment and reforming. Tirek trying to steal Equestria's magic-"

"-Wait, Princess Luna's return?" I ask in confusion. "You said they ruled the country when it was 'young', yet I've met and spoke to both of them. Just how is that possible? Or are we talking the royalty tradition of monarchs having the same name as relatives, and this Celestia I met is the fourth Celestia in the royal family?"

"Well, alicorns are immortal," Twilight replies softly as she delicately flutters her wings. "At the very least, alicorns don’t age in the traditional sense as other creatures do. Princess Celestia and Luna have been ruling Equestria side by side throughout its history as a diarchy. Princess Luna was... banished to the moon where she remained for a thousand years before her return."

I blink slowly, mentally replaying what I'd just hear in my head to make sure that I heard the purple alicorn correctly. "Banished... to the moon? How is that even possible? There is no oxygen on the moon. It's not like the old stories where people say the moon is made of cheese. There's no food up there."

Before Twilight can likely go into a lecture, Starlight quickly takes the opportunity to interrupt her. "It's a long story which I'm sure you won't want to be worrying about just yet. You need some time to adjust before you try learning all there is about Equestria. Besides, no doubt that Twilight will pounce at the opportunity to tutor you."

Twilight smiles sheepishly with a lightly tinted blush on her cheeks, "It's important for one to understand the history and culture of where they are visiting. But, you are right, Starlight. There will be time for all of that." Twilight slowly turns her head back to me as she clears her throat, "If you wouldn't mind, I have a few basic questions I'd like to ask. If that is okay with you?"

I take a moment to consider Twilight's request. I'm not really wanting to go into any detail about home out of worry it could make me plunge further into the helplessness that I'm feeling in this new world, but a few basic questions could likely help distract me. I slowly nod my head, "I suppose that's okay."

"Great!" Twilight practically beams as she effortlessly levitates a blank scroll before her, along with an inkpot and quill which she rests on the desk. "What other species are there on your world which have created civilizations? Are there griffins, minotaurs, yaks, kirin, caribou?"

I cock a brow as I look at Twilight, trying to gauge if she is being serious. Quicky recalling that the guard who found myself and Matthew thought that we could be minotaurs, I soon realise that Twilight is genuinely curious as other sentient species seem to live on this world. "It's only humans. There are a few different races, but we are the only species."

Twilight quickly scribbles down my answer, her eyes maintaining firmly fixed on me as she asks the next question. "And how many humans are there?"

"I don't know exactly... but the global population has exceeded seven billion."

"Seven billion?" Both of the ponies ask in unison as they look at me in surprise.

"Yeah. Improvements in modern medicine, technology and quality of living led to an enormous population growth in the last century."

"How old are you?" Starlight asks as she leans forward over the desk. "We don't exactly have a frame of reference to guess your age based on appearances and physical characteristics."

"I'm twenty-eight. I was in school until I was sixteen, then spent two years at college followed by three at university where I studied criminal law. I joined the Police at twenty-two."

"Criminal law? So you have an in-depth knowledge of your criminal justice system?" Twilight questions, her eyes seemingly sparkling with joy at the prospect of finding someone with a high level of expertise on a particular topic from a new and undiscovered culture."

Holding my hand out, I twist it from side to side. "A bit. To be honest, I kind of forgot most of it since leaving university. The main thing to me was learning the laws and legislation in order to help me with joining the Police once I got my degree."

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to pick your brain further on the topic in the near future. It would be incredible to compare our two systems, to get your interpretation on Equestrian law and how it contrasted to your own society. Maybe there is an opportunity to learn from one another to improve our own systems."

"I guess," I respond with a shrug of my shoulders. "But, not tonight. I'm not really wanting to talk in-depth about the law."

"Of course," Twilight reassures me with a soft smile.

"You'd better be careful," Starlight chuckles. "Twilight will end up writing an entire dissertation on you at this rate," She jokes with a playful smile.

As the night continues, Twilight would proceed to ask me further questions about my life and upbringing. I made sure to try and answer all of her questions as best as I could, but I feared that my responses would have been fairly mundane. I wouldn't have considered my life outside of work to be interesting. As my childhood went, I'd say it was fairly average.

I grew up with with my mum and dad, a teacher and a doctor, along with my younger brother who was routinely on an operation overseas with the Royal Navy in recent years. I spent my entire life in Telford, only leaving the growing town for my university studies where I spent three years at Keele University in Newcastle-under-Lyme. I told Twilight how I had my own house in the village of Lilleshall where I lived by myself. I didn't have a life of luxury, but it was safe to say that I still got to enjoy some of the finer things in life.

I was able to tell Twilight a bit about the other countries and cities of the world from when I would routinely travel the world with my friends for our annual holidays. I told her all about the lights of Broadway in New York, the golden beaches of Rio de Janeiro and the raging nightlife of Ibiza.

I'm certain that the more interesting aspects of my life which would be more beneficial would be my many stories within the Police and the practical application of the law. Explaining how I'd go about my duties, the various laws and legislation in place, national guidelines and policies, along with how the incidents I investigated would progress before the court. But, for now, I was not wanting to divulge too far into my work. I'm more than certain that would come out on another day.

Despite not giving too much detail in my answers to the enthusiastic Princess, she was still able to complete scroll after scroll of notes, rapidly expanding on all of the points I gave her. I'm more than certain that most of her notes would be further questions to expand upon my answers in the future, but that would be an issue for another day. With the hours ticking by, I excused myself as I returned back to my room to try and get some sleep.

I soon retiered back to my room, getting my head down in an attempt to finally drift off to sleep. Despite feeling drained, I initially struggled to let sleep take me. I was still worried about Matthew in hospital and the uncertainty as to how long he would remain there for. Despite being seen by doctors, I was still filled with worry as the main point that kept forcing its way to the forefront of my thinking was that 'they have never treated a human before.'

Finally, I found myself unable to keep my eyes open any longer. I eventually gave in to the cries of my body, letting the exhaustion beat my concerns as I finally nodded off to sleep. My final thoughts were that of my family and friends back home. How would they know what happened? Have Matthew and I disappeared without a trace back home?

No doubt, these worries and thoughts would plague my mind for the days to come.

Author's Note

Apologies for the delay in this chapter, considering the length. I was injured on duty last month and spent a few days in hospital. I didn't want to rush back into anything upon being discharged and had a few weeks to myself to relax.

I'll be adding multiple characters into the story as it progresses, some as reoccurring roles and some as one-off roles in individual chapters. Want to see an OC of yours in the story? Then follow this link and complete the OC submission form

Thanks for reading

Police Glossary:

• MG11: Witness Statement used as official evidence, for both Police and civilians. This is an official statement which will be submitted before the Crown Prosecution Service and the Courts when the offence goes to trial.